SUV
stuck
in Port

by MELISSA ROLLOCK

IAN ANTROBUS and his wife Shawney worked hard, sometimes two jobs at a time, while living in the United States for 23 years so they could save up enough to return to Barbados to live.

But their move back home August last year turned into their worst nightmare.

After giving up their home in Miramar, Florida, to come back to be with their 12-year-old son, they found out that they did not qualify as returning nationals.

By then it was too late to change their plans. They resettled in Barbados but found it difficult to get some of their possessions from the Barbados Port Inc., which included clothes, furniture and a 2008 silver Jeep Liberty worth more than US$25 000, which they had paid off just before relocating.

The couple were told that under Government's returning nationals policy, they could not be classified as such because they were under the age of 50 - a requirement. Ian is 46 years old while his wife is 42.

Under Government's original Charter for Returning and Overseas Nationals as outlined in the Returning Nationals Booklet posted on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, a returning national is defined as "an individual who qualifies for Barbadian citizenship by birth, descent, registration or naturalization, who is at least 50 years of age and who resided in Barbados for at least 183 days within a year at sometime prior to emigrating and who is returning to Barbados to resettle after a period of at least ten years abroad".

"How could it be that you could leave this country and come back home after 20 or 30 years and not be considered as a returning national because you aren't 50 years old or older? What are you then?" Ian fumed.

"You're telling me if I was 40 years old, I could leave this country right now and come back in ten years and qualify to be a returning national over someone who has been living abroad for more than that?

"We made sure we saved up enough and paid off for the Jeep before coming here because we didn't want to be a burden to anyone, including the Government of Barbados."

After putting their case to officers in the Ministry of Finance, the Antrobuses were allowed to get their clothes and furniture from the Bridgetown Port last December, but the Jeep was not released to them.

Returning nationals are granted a number of concessions, including one imported tax-free and duty-free vehicle per household - whether new or used.

Ian told the WEEKEND NATION he thought he would benefit from this concession upon returning. He said he and his wife sent numerous letters to both the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for over a year, but got no satisfaction.

The only correspondence they did receive was a recent letter from the Ministry of Finance dated October 14, 2009, stating that their request to import the 2008 Jeep Liberty as returning nationals had not been agreed to by the Minister of Finance. It was signed by a Kenrick Daisley for the Permanent Secretary, Finance.

They also received another letter, this time from the Bridgetown Port stating that their vehicle would be put up for auction as it was listed as an unclaimed vehicle.

"We made all the applications since last year September. We are not expecting special treatment but we did not expect that it would take a country a year to get in contact with us. I don't think anyone can say we haven't tried our best to go through the right channels to make the system work.

"And if we were denied, at least we should have been told something before a year had lapsed.

"If they knew we were not going to get this vehicle, let's say in the first three months, they could've told us that instead of letting us wait for a whole year. Because then we could've made a decision to return the vehicle to the United States and get back our money.

"That is not an option now because if we want to get that vehicle now, we have to pay for storage for a whole year along with duties. So duties plus a whole year of storage, we can't afford it; it would be just as much as I paid for the vehicle already. Now someone is going to get it for whatever amount of money," said an upset Ian.

Since returning to Barbados, he said he had been getting around in hired or borrowed vehicles since he needed a car because of the demands of his job as a security guard. His wife, on the other hand, had to resort to public transportation.

When the WEEKEND NATION contacted John Blackman, head of the Facilitation Unit for Returning Nationals (FURN) in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he said he could not speak to the Antrobuses' case, but pointed out that too many returning nationals made the mistake of not making checks before resettling.

FURN was established in February 1996 to achieve the objectives of the Charter for Returning and Overseas Nationals.

Blackman said that prior to 2004, there was no age limit on those who qualified as returning nationals. However, some individuals started to abuse the system.

"It was changed to 50 years of age from 2004. But it is under review at the moment. The new Government announced they would liberate the charter. We are looking at the age limit again. There is an argument, and a strong one, that people 50 years or over will come home to retire whereas someone in their 40s will come home, open up a business and produce goods and services that will generate valuable foreign exchange.

"It used to be that returning nationals could bring in two cars from overseas but some people started to abuse the system and it was changed to just one car per household, because they would bring in cars for relatives and friends.

"Unfortunately, a large number of people come home without checking the policy. They decide they're just going to pack up and come to Barbados without checking.

"One mistake people make is to call relatives who came back to Barbados five years ago but the system would've been changed since then. The information/booklet has been on our website since 2007 and in hard copy around the same time," he explained.

Blackman said the Antrobuses should not blame Government for their situation since it could've been avoided by checking either the ministry's website or the Barbados mission in Miami since they resided in Florida.

"[Mr Antrobus] can't blame Government for something like that. The rules have changed and it is up to you to check. He returned here in 2008 and the system was in place for four years before that.

"It is not like he moved back here a year after it was changed where he could argue that the system was relatively new," he said, pointing out that 150 to 200 Barbadians returned to the island to live each year.

When the WEEKEND NATION checked with the Ministry of Finance about the fate of the Antrobuses' 2008 Jeep Liberty, an officer said the ministry was not notified by Customs at the Bridgetown Port Inc that the vehicle was being put up for auction.

"Usually they send us a list of the vehicles and if it is something that is ongoing, we would instruct them further. But I would advise [the Antrobuses] to come in and see us," said the officer.

For Ian, it was a bitter experience for what was supposed to be a happy reunion with his family and friends.

"I want the citizens of Barbados to know what we go through as Barbadians returning home. I want to make it clear that when you are responsible for a department and you are dealing with people's lives, you have to treat them with respect," he said.